Live Blog - Duleep Trophy 2025-26 quarter-final - Malewar 203* before NEZ collapse

Before NEZ lost 5 for 8 in a middle-order collapse, they were well placed at 128 for 2. But the slide has all but ensured that they will end up giving CZ a decisive first-innings lead. NEZ already trail by 364 runs with two days left, and it should be a matter of time before the CZ bowlers wrap the NEZ tail up. Ankur Malik has entertained with 31*, with thee fours and two sixes from No. 8 after plenty of NEZ batters threw away starts. That's as good as it got for NEZ today. NEZ 168 for 7 in 65 overs after day two.

...at the CoE and over NEZ. In the 53rd over, Pheiroijam guided Thakare to Aayush Pandey at gully as NEZ lost their sixth wicket. Two overs later, a direct hit from Malewar finds Rongsen Jonatan short at the non-striker's end for the seventh blow. Ankur Malik arrives and thumps Kuldeep for six over wide mid-off first ball. But before that, NEZ have lost 5 for 8. NEZ 143 for 7 in 55 overs.

Amid all that, the ground has been surrounded by grey clouds - exactly the ones which are harbingers of rain. It is getting slightly gloomy here - just ask NEZ.

In the 51st over, Aditya Thakare bangs a short ball at left-hand batter Hem Chetri. The batter fends at it rather awkwardly - he ducks a little, and seemingly takes his eyes off while looking to pull. The ball travels off the top half of the bat to Dubey, who's placed at fine leg. NEZ are collapsing, as they've now lost three wickets within three overs while adding only two runs. NEZ 130 for 5 in 51 overs.

Another set batter from NEZ departs after a promising start. Thapa drives Aditya Thakare on the up towards extra cover, only for Shubham Sharma to go low and grab the chance to his left. Thapa goes for 35, thus giving CZ back-to-back wickets. NEZ 128 for 4 in 49 overs.

Off the fifth ball of the 48th over, Anderson decides to skip down the pitch against Dubey, who's bowling from around the wicket. But the NEZ batter loses his balance as he advances, and misses the ball to be stumped after struggling his way to 17 off 77 balls. NEZ 128 for 3 in 48 overs as a 53-run partnership between Anderson and Thapa ends. An hour of play left on day two. How many more wickets can CZ get? Till how far can NEZ keep fighting?

Wicketkeeper-batter Jehu Anderson creams two cover drives off Chahar while his partner Ashish Thapa slams three boundaries in an over off Khaleel. Anderson has been the quieter of the two while Thapa has been quicker. NEZ 118 for 2 in 42 overs, with the deficit still a massive 414 runs.

Two successive wickets means CZ head into the tea break with momentum on their side. The NEZ openers Yumnam and Doria added 72, and frustrated the CZ bowlers in a steady stand. But two wickets in two overs checked their flow. CZ are miles ahead in this match at the moment, and NEZ will need nothing more than a miracle to get close to CZ's first-innings total of 532. NEZ 85 for 2 in 34 overs at tea.

NEZ opening batter Yumnam looks for an extra run after the ball goes wide of Patidar, who is placed at mid-off. Yumnam, though, ends up far out of the crease, and the throw from Patidar to the wicketkeeper is quick and timely even as Yumnam tyrned and ran back. The decision goes to the third umpire, and Yumnam is run out two short of a fifty.CZ have two back-to -back wickets, with NEZ 75 for 2 in 26 overs.

After being so far so good, a misjudgement costs Doria. Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey angles one in from around the wicket, and Doria lets the ball go. Except that the ball ends up hitting the stumps. Doria falls for 20, as CZ break a solid opening stand. NEZ 72 for 1 in 24 overs.

Kuldeep Yadav is drilled for four wide of mid-off by Yumnam, who leaves Khaleel Ahmed, the fielder, stunned and unmoved. That shot is another sign of the confidence with which the two NEZ batters are going about against a strong and fancied attack. NEZ 55 for 0 in 16 overs. It is drniks two overs later, with NEZ 58 for 0, trailing by 474 runs.

Yumnam swat-pulls Chahar for four to deep-backward square leg to shouts of "Shot hai, yaar" from the dressing room. He follows that up by opening the face of the bat, and running the ball down deep third for another boundary. Yuman on 16, and Doria on 14. NEZ 36 for 0 after nine overs.

Deepak Chahar and Khaleel Ahmed opened the bowling for CZ, who declared on 532 just before lunch. Jotin and Yumnam, the NEZ opening batters, have been beaten by the bowlers, and two outside edges have fallen short of the slips. At lunch on day two, NEZ are 17 for 0 after four overs, trailing CZ by 515 runs.

"Yayyy, come on!", NEZ's Akash Kumar roars as Shubham's middle stump is shaken. He falls for 34, and that is NEZ's first wicket this morning - remember, Malewar had only retired out and wasn't dismissed. With that, CZ declare at 532 for 4 after 102 overs. That decision, though, has left Rathod stranded on 87. Maybe the idea was for the CZ bowlers, fresh and fully rested, to have a crack at the NEZ batters for 15 minutes before lunch.

The scoreboard keeps ticking for CZ, as they pass 500 against a helpless NEZ attack. Legspinner Chetri comes on to bowl the 97th over, where Rathod and Shubham take CZ past the landmark. How many more before CZ decide to pull the plug? For now, though, CZ are 504 for 3 in 97 overs.

An hour and 15 minutes of play into day two, CZ keep piling on the runs and, with that, more misery on NEZ. The scoring has been slower so far today than last evening and afternoon, but the wickets haven't come for NEZ. Rathod is firm on 60, while his partner Shubham has started patiently with 16 off 45 balls. CZ 487 for 3 in 93 overs, with NEZ looking jaded.

NEZ take the new ball two deliveries into the 83rd over after Rathod punches the first delivery off Pheroijam for four to deep-backward point. That boundary takes him to 47, before he gets a single. Rathod faces a bunch of dots since then - he even skips down the pitch repeatedly to try and mess with the bowlers' lengths - and finally reaches fifty in the 88th over. Rathod leans into a flick for four through midwicket off Tamang, and brings up his seventh first-class fifty. CZ 466 for 3 in 88 overs.

Malewar, high on confidence and facing a relatively weak bowling attack, smashes the ball to the cover boundary for four in the first over of the second day. That shot brings up his maiden first-class double-hundred, before he decides to retire on 203.

Shubham Sharma is the new batter in, with CZ 445 for 3 in 80 overs.

Dark, black clouds have gathered to the west, and the umpires check for light. There's a stoppage in play, and here comes the ground staff scampering with the covers. The sound of thunder in the distance is heard rather faintly, and the players are off. Bad light stops play. In fact, the umpires have confirmed that it's stumps on day one, as rain comes pattering down. CZ 432 for 2 after 77 overs, with Malewar on 198* and Rathod on 32*.

One hour to go on day one, and NEZ will be hoping something goes their way. CZ are 399 for 2 after 73 overs, and already in sight of a mammoth first-innings total. Malewar has marched his way 180 at a strike rate of 87 at the break, while his partner Rathod is solid on 21. They had joined hands after Patidar's 125 left NEZ deflated. All the NEZ bowlers can do now is hope CZ have some mercy.

Meanwhile, it's slightly brighter than what it was about 20 minutes back. There are some clouds scattered around, but there seems to be no threat of rain at the moment.

The ground staff is ready with the covers at the deep-square leg boundary from the end where Malewar is on strike in the 68th over. It isn't raining yet, but the staff seems all ready to run in should it start dripping any moment. Or perhaps, they're expecting it to come from the north, where a combination of black and grey clouds have gathered.

Off the first ball of the 67th over, Malewar lofts Jotin down the ground, with Tamang placed at mid-off. Tamang, though, seemed to have moved a bit too far to his left. The ball came the other way, as he stretched his right hand out, only for the ball to tickle it and trickle away for four. That boundary takes Malewar from his previous highest of 153 to a career-best 157. CZ 357 for 2 for 2 after 67 overs.

Yet another attempted sweep off a pace bowler from Patidar, but this time he falls after miscuing it. Jotin, in the 66th over, bowls another length ball, which Patidar aims to deposit beyond the square-leg boundary, and he nearly gets the result he wanted. Malik, who had missed a chance two overs back, is placed right on the edge of the boundary to catch Patidar safely this time. Patidar walks back after a dominating 125 off 96 balls, with CZ 353 for 2 in 66 overs. Yash Rathod is the new batter.

Second ball of the 64th over. Patidar gets a length delivery from Pheiroijam Jotin, which he looks to launch over mid-off. But Patidar ends up skying the ball, which dips where Palzor Tamang at mid-off is positioned. Tamang watches the ball well, but drops the catch with Patidar on 112.

Three balls later, Patidar goes for an attempted sweep off the pace bowler, but mistimes it. Once again, the ball is sent up ballooning into the sky. Ankur Malik, at deep-backward square leg, takes a few steps forward, but sees the ball come to him on the bounce, with Patidar on 113.

With the CZ captain in full flow, how costly will those misses prove? CZ 332 for 1 after 64 overs.

At tea on day one, CZ have bashed their way to 314 for 1 in 61 overs at a masterful run rate of 5.14. Patidar has been aggressive in cracking 111 off just 85 balls, while Malewar, at the other end, has been calmer and yet equally effective. He has ticked along to 132* from 176 deliveries to continue to establish himself at the domestic stage. The two batters had got together at 143 for 1 in the 37th over, when Aryan Juyal had retired hurt after being hit on the abdomen. Since then, Patidar has dominated the 171-run partnership with Malewar, and with that, the hapless NEZ bowlers.

There's a loud round of applause from the CZ dressing room as Patidar raises his bat to acknowledge a commanding century off only 80 deliveries, his 14th in first-class cricket. Patidar's counterpart Jonathan bowls a short delivery outside off, and he punches it through cover for his 18th boundary. That, added to his two sixes, gives Patidar 84 runs out of 101 in boundaries. CZ 303 for 1 in 60 overs as NEZ look clueless on a bright, sunny afternoon.

NEZ's captain and offspinner Rongsen Jonathan bowls the 58th over of CZ's innings. Patidar, on strike, executes one reverse sweep after another off the first four balls. The first three go for a boundary each through short third. Fourth ball, Patidar repeats the shot, but has a deep third waiting for him. CZ 285 for 1 after 58 overs, with Patidar on 94.

Four laced through extra cover. Malewar's fun in first-class cricket continues. A century brought up with his 20th four - that makes it 80 off 100 runs in boundaries - as Malewar builds on what has been a solid mini-career so far. He raises his third first-class century off 144 balls in the 53rd over. CZ 241 for 1 after 53 overs.

Four CZ batters have batted so far, and three of them have got fifty. Patidar is the latest of those. A crunching drive for four through extra cover in the 48th over gets him there off just 42 balls. It is time for drinks in the afternoon session, with CZ chugging along at 216 for 1 after 48 overs, and Malewar on 95.

Boundaries all around the ground, to go with a six. CZ captain Patidar is on 42 off his first 33 balls, and has already thumped seven boundaries and a maximum. Two fours and the six came back-to-back in the 46th over, as CZ continue to pile on the runs. CZ 202 for 1 after 46 overs.

Aryan Juyal walks back limping in the 37th over of CZ's innings after being hit on the abdomen guard. He has retired hurt on 60, and is replaced by his captain Rajat Patidar at the crease. CZ 148 for 1 after 37 overs.

The second-wicket stand between Juyal and Malewar is worth 122 at the lunch break. Juyal moves to his seventh first-class fifty just before the break, thus joining his partner Malewar with the landmark. CZ are 126 for 1 after 34 overs.

Twenty-one-year-old Malewar has already had a solid start to his domestic career. He averages 52.20 after nine first-class matches, and this morning, he adds a seventh half-century in the format. Malewar flicks the ball for four to a straightish fine leg region, and raises the landmark. CZ 87 for 1 after 28 overs.

Juyal and Malewar have now added 50 for the second wicket. There have been a string of dots after the drinks break as the NEZ bowlers have kept tight lines and lengths. But the half-century partnership between the batters is brought up in the 21st over as Juyal punches Bishworjit Konthoujam for two through cover.